


And the author was quarantined! (Oh my god, she was quarantined!)

by islndgurl777



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 14,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777
Summary: A collection of tumblr prompts written during the Covid19 quarantine.
Relationships: Isobel Evans & Alex Manes, Isobel Evans & Kyle Valenti, Isobel Evans/Kyle Valenti, Liz Ortecho & Alex Manes, Michael Guerin & Liz Ortecho, Michael Guerin & Max Evans & Isobel Evans, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes, Rosa Ortecho & Kyle Valenti
Comments: 53
Kudos: 146





	1. Jealous Michael (w/ Liz & Michael friendship)

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous said: Prompt: I just want jealous Michael over Alex. Jealous Michael is all I need. Jealousy jealous Michael.

“I’m not  _ jealous _ ,” Michael says, dropping face-first onto Liz’s bed.

She hums as she starts to pull off his shoes and says, “The copious amount of alcohol and acetone you’ve consumed in the last hour says otherwise.”

He groans and rolls over, hugging her pillow to his chest. “He’s just so… so… “

“Preppy,” they say together, Liz with a resigned tone, Michael a disgusted one.

Liz sighs. “So I’ve heard.”

Michael scowls up at her. “Don’t act like you actually like him.” Liz makes a noncommittal noise as she disappears into her closet to change. He huffs and unbuttons his pants, doing his best to kick them off without having to actually sit up, but it’s difficult. Each kick sends the whole bed shaking, and he just can’t seem to make any progress in ridding himself of his damn jeans no matter how hard he tries, and why does it have to be so  _ hard _ ? Why can’t he just kick his stupid pants off? Why does  _ everything  _ have to be so hard lately? Working on saving Max, and supporting Isobel through her trauma, and trying to be  _ friends  _ with--

He whines out loud, tears flooding his eyes.

Liz comes back out in her pajamas and sighs, taking pity on him and helping him pull his jeans off. She tosses them to the floor and slides in on the other side of the bed, reaching over to turn out the light. “Sleep it off, Mikey,” she whispers, laying her hand on his arm and pulling the blankets up to cover the both of them.

The tears spill over and Michael sniffles. He shifts, trying to turn away from Liz to cry with a modicum of privacy, but her hand tightens on his arm. It’s all he needs to turn toward her instead, burying his face in her neck as she wraps her arms around him and squeezes tight. She makes quiet shushing noises and runs her fingers through his hair while he shudders in her arms.

After a while, they shift so he’s using her stomach as a pillow. It’s easier for them both to breathe, and he doesn’t have to look at her as he says into the dark room, “You know the only time we’ve ever been out in public together was at the veteran’s event at the drive-in?” She hums and continues carding her hand through his hair. He closes his eyes and breathes deep. “Even then, we sat about as far apart as you can get in the back of a pickup.” He lets out another shuddering breath. “I have never even gotten to _ hold his hand _ in front of other people, and there they were at the Pony tonight just…”

He cuts himself off as tears flood his eyes again, turns his head to look up at Liz. “I’m not jealous.”

Liz nods and smiles sadly. “I know you’re not, Mikey.”


	2. Fake dating (Alex & Maria, Malex, hint of Maribel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: Promt, take as many as you want: malex, angels, wings, fake dating

“Thank you for doing this,” Maria says to him for the thousandth time. Her voice is shaky with nerves and she keeps wiping her palms on her skirt.

Alex laughs and shakes his head, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a stop before the doors of the church. “Maria, how long were you my beard in high school? I am happy to play your boyfriend for one night. It’s not a big deal, really.”

She lets out a slow breath and nods. “Yeah, okay.” She squeezes his hand, takes a step towards the doors, then stops again and looks over at him. “It’s just… “

Alex nods. “It’s the first time you’ll see Rosa since you two broke up, but you can’t miss Liz’s wedding. I know. It’ll be okay.” He gives her a reassuring smile and opens the door. 

They’re not late, but most people are already seated, so they slip into a bench toward the back of the church. Maria scans the room and sees a few friends from undergrad, which is where she’d met Liz, but no Rosa. She lets out a slow breath to steady her nerves. It makes sense, since Rosa’s the maid of honor. She’s probably with Liz, getting ready to walk down the aisle.

Maria fidgets in her seat a while longer, heedless of the comforting arm Alex has draped around her shoulder, then stiffens when the music starts and the processional begins.

Max is first down the aisle, smiling the biggest smile she’s ever seen, stepping just a little too quickly for the music, and Maria has to smile at his enthusiasm.

After him comes Kyle Valenti, Liz and Rosa’s childhood friend, escorted by an attractive, curly-haired man she has to assume is Max’s brother. They make their way down the aisle arm in arm, slightly staggering as they go because they keep lightly shoving each other. Max rolls his eyes at their antics, but his smile doesn’t diminish at all. The men separate to stand on either side of the altar, facing the audience with unrepentant grins.

“Slight problem with our plan,” Alex whispers urgently to Maria as she holds her breath and watches Rosa emerge, arm in arm with a stunning blonde in a three piece suit.

“Hmm?” she asks, wrenching her eyes away from Max’s best woman to look over at Alex.

Alex’s eyes are wide as he licks his lips and says, “Michael’s the groomsman, and he  _ definitely  _ knows I’m gay.”

Maria raises a brow and looks back up at Max’s brother, whose wide eyes are fixed on Alex, mouth open in shock. The blonde pokes him in the arm as she comes to stand next to Max, nudging him to move over.

  
“ _ That’s _ Michael?” she asks, and when Alex nods, she hums again, considering. “New plan. You ask him to dance at the reception, and I’ll make a move on the best woman.”


	3. Pluto is a planet! (Malex)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> spaceskam-also said: Okay okay okay prompt: malex having a heated debate over whether they consider Pluto a planet or not

“It’s a planet.”

“It’s not.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

“As one of the foremost authorities on space stuff on  _ this  _ planet--”

“You don’t even  _ remember  _ being in space!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m still more of an expert than you are.”

“Guerin.”

“Alex.”

“ _ Guerin _ . They revoked Pluto’s status as a planet over a decade ago. You need to get over it already.”

“Listen. They can’t just un-planet-ify--”

“That’s not even a word.”

“--a planet! I mean, we spent our entire child- to young adulthood learning about the  _ nine  _ planets in our solar system. That’s not something that can just be forgotten!”

“Guerin.”

“And! And! If Pluto is no longer considered a planet, what is it my very excellent mother is just serving us nine of? Hmm? Hmm?”

“I think I heard one where you just shorten it to ‘my very excellent mother just served us noodles’.”

“Noodles? Are you kidding me? That is the dumbest--mph.”

“...”

“You’re not going to win this one by distracting me with kisses, okay? It’s not happening ag--mph.”

“What were you saying?”

“...I don’t remember.”


	4. Michael Guerin = Leia Organa (Michael & Liz)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ober-affen-geil said: Michael Guerin has a lot in common with Leia Organa. Discuss.

“Who’d you get?” Liz asks, tapping his shin with her foot as they sit across from each other in a booth at the Crashdown. Michael doesn’t answer, just keeps staring down at his phone with a flabbergasted look, so she kicks him again, a little harder this time. When he finally looks up at her, she repeats her question.

“Um. I got Leia?” he says, narrowing his eyes on his screen again, as if looking harder will change the results.

“What?” she laughs, delighted. “Let me see.” She reaches across and pulls the phone from his hands, turning it so she can read his results aloud. “ ‘You’re one of the most elegant, kick-ass, heartwarming princesses of the galaxy. You’re faithful, strategic, and will stop at nothing to keep the ones you love safe’. Damn, this is fairly accurate.”

Michael sputters and shakes his head. “No way, I don’t think so.”

Liz’s eyebrows shoot up. “Well, I think you’re wrong. Kick-ass? Yep. Strategic? Obviously. Will stop at nothing to keep the ones you love safe? Come on, this is you to a T.”

“Heartwarming?” he says, tilting his head, eyebrow raised in challenge.

“Your friendship and selflessness warms  _ my  _ heart,” she counters solemnly, placing a hand over her heart.

He rolls his eyes, shaking his whole head as he does so. “You’re gonna call me  _ faithful _ ? After that whole Maria fiasco?”

Liz sighs and shrugs. “You weren’t actually dating her at the time, so I’m not sure that counts. And if we’re talking about the technical meaning of faithful, that doesn’t always apply to romantic relationships. It could mean faithful to a cause, or to people, and no one can doubt your loyalty to your friends and family.”

Michael’s lips purse as he works on controlling his breathing. It wouldn’t do to let Liz know just how much he appreciates her stalwart defense of his character. He lets out a slow breath and counters again with, “Elegant?”

“...It’s a Buzzfeed quiz, Mikey. It’s not going to be 100% accurate.” She rolls her eyes and scrolls back to the stop, starts taking the quiz for herself. A minute later she looks up at him with a grin, turning the phone back around. “Hey, look who I got! Turns out, I’m your twin!”

He reads over her results and rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch as he says, “Okay, Miss Chosen One. Maybe this quiz isn’t  _ that  _ terrible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quiz in question: https://www.buzzfeed.com/justincarissimo/which-classic-star-wars-character-are-you?branch=show-quiz


	5. Pod Squad Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angsty-aliens said: Space siblings have had a lot of slumber parties through the years. At 11 it was cute. At 28, their friends think it’s weird. But sometimes the only thing that recalibrates the world is falling asleep next to your pod squad.

As soon as she wakes up, Liz gingerly untangles herself from Rosa and Maria and slips into the bathroom to shower off their night of celebrations. She’s careful not to make too much noise as she reenters the room to throw on some sweats and a t-shirt, then grabs her keys and heads out to her car.

The sun is just breaking the horizon, blending reds, oranges, purples, and blues in sweeping strokes across the sky. It’s obscenely early, Liz knows, but Max has only been back for a day and a half, and staying away from him for more than twelve hours feels like a big ask.

Isobel’s SUV and Michael’s truck are still parked next to Max’s jeep, not that she had expected otherwise; the only reason Liz had left the night before was to give Max time to spend with his siblings.

The house is quiet when she lets herself in. She makes her way slowly toward Max’s room, intending to slip in under his arm and get a couple more hours of sleep curled up with the man she loves, but finds the space already occupied.

Max is laying on his side and Isobel is curled up along his front, her arms tucked up between them, hands resting on Max’s heart. Her forehead is pressed into his chest and his head is tilted down, as if he’d given the top of her head a kiss before he’d fallen asleep.

Spooned up on his other side, with one arm pillowing Max’s head, is Michael. His whole body is curled up into Max’s, his forehead pressing into Max’s shoulder, with his other arm draped over Max’s waist. His hand rests on top of Max’s on the center of Isobel’s back.

Tears prick Liz’s eyes as she takes in the scene, overwhelming relief surging through her that this is even possible. That Max is back and their trio is complete again.

She lets out a shuddery breath as she backs quietly out of the doorway and heads over toward the kitchen. She may not be able to enjoy an early morning cuddle with Max, but she can make sure they all have a nice family breakfast together before the next problem arises.


	6. Pineapple on pizza/the correct pronunciation of gif (Malex)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pinnerswitch said: If you’re still taking quarantine prompts, I’d read 100,000 words of more Malex arguments which end with one of them kissing the other to shut them up. How to pronounce gif. What colour the dress was. Whether pineapple belongs on pizza. Literally anything!

“That’s it. That’s the definitive proof you’re an alien.”

“There are millions of people on this planet who eat pineapple on their pizza. That’s hardly proof I’m an alien.”

“...Maybe that’s definitive proof the secret invasion of our planet was successful?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re ridiculous! Pineapple on pizza is dis--mph.”

“And now you’ve kissed this pineapple pizza mouth. How’s it feel?”

“...It’s not  _ terrible _ .”

“You need another taste, just to be sure?”

“...Maybe.”

“...”

“...”

“Wait, wait, wait. I...hmm. I have a very important--mph. Question for you, while we’re...mmm...going over these sorts of things.”

“Hmm, what is it?”

“Mmm, how do you--mph...How...mmm...How do you pronounce the acronym for graphics interchange format?”

“Gif. Hard g in ‘graphics’. Obviously.”

“Mph. But the man who  _ invented  _ them pronounces it like the peanut butter! It’s the correct way to say it!”

“Hmm. We’re not having this argument again. Alex. Not while my hand is down your pants.”

“But it’s pronounced--ah! Mmm, okay. Okay. I’m shutting up now.”

“Mmhmm. I promise we can discuss it later.”


	7. Jealous Michael again (Alex confronts him)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: If you’re taking prompts can you do something where Michael is clearly jealous in the way he acts and talks about Forrest so Alex confronts Michael about it? If you do I would appreciate it tons. Thank you regardless of what you decide to do

“You need to stop.”

Michael exhales slowly and turns to face Alex, his smile more of a grimace. “I need to stop what, Alex?”

Alex huffs and steps closer, running a hand down his face. “You need to stop being such a  _ dick  _ to him.”

Michael’s brow furrows and he shakes his head. “I wasn’t--”

Alex crosses his arms over his chest and raises a brow.

The denial catches in the back of Michael’s throat, so he clears it, looking down at the ground. “It’s not that easy. You’re…” He shrugs and looks back up. “You know?”

Alex sighs and nods, voice nearly a whisper as he says, “Yeah, I know.”

His eyes lock on Michael’s, and Michael’s chest tightens. He can’t  _ breathe  _ when Alex looks at him like that. When Alex looks at him  _ period _ .

He also finds it difficult to breathe when he sees Alex smiling and laughing with another man. Openly loving someone who is not him.

Michael looks away first, letting out a shaky breath. “I’m sorry.” Alex makes a questioning noise and takes a step closer. Michael’s hands clench at his sides as he looks back up and continues, “I didn’t realize… how much it must have hurt you, seeing me with Maria.”

Alex inhales sharply, shaking his head. “I didn’t--” He licks his lips and lets out a slow breath. “I’m not with him to hurt you. I never want you to hurt.”

Michael laughs bitterly and shakes his head. “I know that. You’re with him because he makes you happy. I’m blind to a lot when it comes to you, but I’m not blind to the things that make you smile.”

Alex nods, but doesn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, softly, “I want you to be happy, too, Michael.”

Michael’s breath hitches and his smile is strained as he says, “And maybe I could be, someday.”

But he doesn’t think it will be anytime soon.


	8. Liz & Alex and Liz & Michael re: Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sp-ac-ep-re-si-de-nt said: Quarantine prompt! Liz talking to Alex and later Michael about their relationship. I just need more science bro’s and Alex and liz interacting.

“Can I ask you something?” Liz says, spinning around on her stool to face Alex. Her latest experiment sits behind her on the table. She doesn’t need to check it again for another half an hour, so she figures it’s a good time to ask about something that’s been bothering her for a while now.

“Go for it,” he says, not looking up from his computer.

She bites her lip and watches him type away, his brow furrowed in concentration. “What...happened between you and Michael?”

Alex freezes and his shoulders tense up. He drops his hands from his keyboard and turns to meet her eyes. “What do you mean?”

She rolls her eyes. “I mean,” she drags the word out. “I heard he was your museum guy.” She shrugs. “I just...I’m curious, I guess.”

He lets out a slow breath and licks his lips. “Michael told you that?”

She shakes her head. “No, Maria did.”

His brow furrows, a complicated array of emotions crossing his face quickly, and then he’s still again, his face a blank canvas. That alone tells her a lot, and then he says, “I love him.”

Her eyebrows shoot up.  _ Love _ . Present tense. She waits for more, huffing when that seems to be the extent of what he’ll say about it. “And?”

Alex lets out a bitter laugh and shrugs. “What do you want me to say, Liz?”

She cocks her head and stands up, walking over to sit on the stool next to him. “More than that!” She grips his arm and shakes him a little. “You  _ love  _ him? How did that happen?”

His eyes widen and he shakes his head with incredulity. “I don’t know, it just did. How did it happen with you and Max?”

Her lips quirk, eyes narrowing on him as she says, “Okay, that’s fair.” They sit in companionable silence for a few moments, and Liz looks him over thoughtfully. He stares back, face blank, but she’s known him twenty years. He’s evading. Finally, she sighs and says softly, “Does Maria  _ know _ ?”

He exhales unsteadily through his nose and shakes his head. “Not...not  _ really _ .” His voice is smaller than she’s heard it in a long time. Fragile.

She places her hand on his arm again and squeezes. “Why not?” Her voice is just as quiet.

“If…” He clears his throat. “If you made Max nothing but miserable…” He looks away, takes a deep breath, and continues, “If you saw he could be happier with someone else than he ever was with you…”

Her breath hitches and she leans away from him, hand slipping from his arm. “Alex…”

His eyes snap back to hers. He lifts his chin and says with a firm voice, “Wouldn’t you give him up if it would make him happy?”

She swallows the lump in her throat, tilting her head to look him over again. The longer she looks at him, the more he seems to wilt. Finally, she nods. “I would do anything to make him happy.”

He exhales slowly and nods in return. “That’s why she doesn’t know.”

///

But that doesn’t  _ explain  _ everything. It doesn’t explain the way Maria holds her breath whenever the three of them were in the same room together, or the way her smile is just a touch more brittle around Alex. It doesn’t explain Michael’s (surprisingly subtle) refusal to be alone with Alex.

It’s the middle of the night, and she and Michael have been quietly working across the lab from each other for several hours. She is so...tired, and she needs a distraction from her most recent, less-than-ideal test results.

She needs more answers, and she decides to be more direct this time.

“Were you in love with Alex?” she asks him.

Michael drops the piece of glowing alien glass he’d been inspecting and it slices his hand. He swears and leaps up, avoiding her gaze as he walks over to the first aid kit on the counter.

“Mikey,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What?” he asks, attempting to sound distracted by his search for bandages.

Liz rolls her eyes and trudges over, slapping his uninjured hand out of the way and gathering up antiseptic and some bandages. “Were you in love with Alex, all those years ago?” She starts cleaning up the slice on the palm of his hand.

He’s silent for a long time, but she’s not going to ask again, if he really doesn’t want to answer. “What makes you ask?” he finally croaks out.

She looks up at his tone, says quietly, “I asked him about you. Thought it was only fair to get the other side of the story.”

His hand flexes in hers as she looks down and finishes cleaning it up. “What did he say?”

She smiles wryly as she starts wrapping it. “I wasn’t offering to tell you what he said. I was offering you a chance to tell me your side.” 

He’s silent a long time, only waiting until she’s finished wrapping his hand to pull it back and shake his head. “I’ve loved him… “ he exhales shakily. “For more than ten years.”

Liz takes a half a step back, jaw dropping at his unexpected declaration. “Wh--but…” She can’t put together a coherent thought, let alone a sentence.

Michael sighs and leans back on the counter. “But nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

She takes another step back and shakes her head. “Doesn’t matter? Mikey--”

“Liz.” Her jaw snaps shut and she looks up at him in confusion. He steps forward, gives her arm a squeeze, and heads back over to his work. “It  _ really  _ doesn’t matter anymore.”

Except… she  _ really  _ thinks it does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have a prompt in my inbox, but if you want to send me more, hmu on tumblr: islndgurl777


	9. Outside POV Malex at dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: If you’re still doing quarantine prompts, could you please do one where Malex are having dinner or something and they lose track of time while talking and hours later they realise that they’ve just spent all this time talking (not even about their past and relationship just like general convo) and them just realising that they’re each other’s best friend. Sorry if it’s lame, I’m just obsessed with the idea of them being best friends and enjoying each other’s company while being in a relationship

Gabi has had… a very long day. Her shift at Bean Me Up was longer than it should have been because of a freak rush after the high school got out for the day. Then, her babysitter got food poisoning, and by the time she found someone to watch Mateo, she discovered her car wouldn’t start. She was late and the last one in for the evening shift at Peppers, so now she was going to have to close.

She breathes in deep and pauses as she’s wiping down the bar, struggling to keep her cool as she eyes the couple at the last table in the restaurant, willing them to pay their bill and just  _ leave  _ already. They’ve been here for _ four hours _ already, and every time she looks over at them, they’re staring into each others’ eyes and making goofy smiles at each other.

It would be fucking adorable if they weren’t the last thing standing between her and the end of the day from hell. 

The curly-haired one finally gets up and heads to the restroom, and that’s when she makes her move. 

Gabi swoops in on their table and picks up curly’s empty glass. She turns to his boyfriend and says, “Will that be all?” She tries for an even tone, honestly she does, but from the way the boyfriend’s eyebrows rise, she doesn’t think she succeeded.

He tilts his head in confusion, then his gaze shifts behind her, where she knows the kitchen closer has started mopping the floors in the back, and almost all the lights are out in the rest of the restaurant. His eyes widen as they settle on her again. “Oh my god, I am so sorry.” He reaches for the bill,  _ finally _ , and hands it to her with his credit card.

She gives him a tired smile and nods. “I’ll be right back with that for you.”

She runs his card faster than she’s ever run a card in her life, and brings the receipt back to the table, where curly has returned from the restroom. He seems to have realized how late it’s gotten also, because he’s telling his boyfriend he’ll go bring the car around. Before he does, he turns to her and says, voice completely solemn, “We are so sorry for keeping you late.”

She can tell he’s being sincere, and since they’re finally actually leaving, she feels like she can show a little grace. “Thank you,” she says to him with a nod, then hands the receipt and card back to the boyfriend as curly leaves to get the car.

The boyfriend shakes his head as he signs the bill, glancing up at her and saying, “I promise, we’re not usually this rude. We hadn’t even realized it was so late.”

Her smile is more genuine when she shakes her head and says, “I understand, and I appreciate your apologies.”

He finishes bussing his table for her, handing her the rest of their silverware and his glass. “Thank you, and sorry again.”

He’s cute and sweet, and obviously so embarrassed by their lack of awareness that she has to shrug and say, “You’re a cute couple. It’s hard to stay mad at people who were giving heart eyes to each other all evening.”

The boyfriend’s head snaps back a little, his eyes wide with shock. “I-- We-- We’re not…” he shakes his head and licks his lips, pointing to the front door, where a truck has just pulled up, curly at the wheel. “We’re not together,” he says. “We’re just friends.”

Gabi raises a brow and cocks her head, “Are you sure about that?” The not-boyfriend’s mouth snaps shut and she laughs, shaking her head. “Well, then, you two are the best damn friends I’ve ever seen in my life, and I would be lucky to find someone who looked at me with half the fondness he obviously has for you.”

He doesn’t say anything to that, merely shakes his head and heads for the door, a dazed look in his eyes.

Gabi watches through the window as curly leans across the truck to open the door for his not-boyfriend, his lips curling up in a pleased smile. Not-boyfriend looks up at him, eyes and smile soft as he steps up into the truck.

_ Just friends, my ass, _ Gabi thinks to herself as she finishes her closing duties so she can finally head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex left her a $100 tip for being That Table, and when Gabi brings her car to Sanders’ to get it fixed, Michael recognizes her and doesn’t charge her for his labor.


	10. sick!Kyle and Rosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angsty-aliens said: 69. “Don’t worry, you’ve got me to take care of you.” - any platonic relationship in RNM.

“Wow, you look like shit.”

Kyle’s startled laugh turns into a cough as he waves Rosa into the house. “Thanks?”

She rolls her eyes and hobbles past him, arms weighed down with two overflowing bags, her bulging backpack hanging low on her back. “You’re welcome.”

He starts to follow, a question on the tip of his tongue, but he goes into another coughing fit on the way. He stops to lean on the wall in the living room until he’s more steady, then follows her into the kitchen.

She’s already unloading the grocery bags, and it looks like there’s a lot more than just the canned soup and orange juice he’d asked her to pick up for him. “What’s all this?” he asks, coughing again. He digs a tissue out of his pocket and blows his nose as he waits for her answer.

“Throw that in the spare room, would you?” she ignores his question, nodding her head toward her backpack on the floor. “I need to get started on the soup.” She starts pulling open his drawers and cupboards.

Kyle stares blankly at the backpack for a minute, his mind a little fuzzy, before he shakes his head and looks back over at Rosa. She’s laid out all of her ingredients and has started chopping. “What?”

She pauses and looks up at him, eyes narrowing. Slowly, like she’s talking to a child, she says, “Put my backpack in the spare room.”

It takes him a little longer, but he finally processes what’s going on. He shakes his head, fighting another cough as he says, “Rosa, you didn’t need to bring over all this food for me, and you don’t have to stay either. I just needed some easy-to-make things.”

Rosa sighs and rounds the counter, coming up to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. “No. I brought food, and medicine, and more tissues, and I’m making you the soup my  _ Papi  _ used to make me and Liz when we were sick, then I’ll stay until you’re feeling better.”

A complicated array of emotions flits through him before he leans forward and wraps his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. His sister came over while he was sick just to take care of him.

“Ugh, gross,” she says, patting him gingerly on the back. “Aren’t you a doctor? Don’t you know this is, like, the best way to get me sick too?”

He pulls back and smiles down at her, sniffling as he says, “Don’t worry, you’ve got me to take care of you if you do.”


	11. Unthinking Goodbye Kiss (Malex)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pinnerswitch said: For the kisses prompts - literally any of them for Malex, but particularly 10, 11, or 43 because I’m a sucker for tenderness. Or 17 because I’m also a sucker for one of them pulling that kind of stunt just for shits and giggles. Please and thank you!
> 
> 10\. A hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it.

“Hey,” Alex says, leaning on the table next to Michael, looking down at what he’s been working on for the past hour.

Michael grunts to acknowledge he heard Alex, but continues to write out his calculations, brow furrowed in concentration.

Alex rolls his eyes and smiles fondly. “I’m heading out. I need to check in with my team. You know, attempt to do my  _ actual  _ job.”

Michael grunts again, eyes narrowed on a piece of his calculation as he leans in to erase it.

Alex muffles a laugh and says, “Head home soon. You need to sleep at some point.” It’s early, but he’s pretty sure Michael’s been here all night.

“Mmhmm, yeah, I will,” Michael says, tongue peeking out between his front teeth as he makes his correction.

Alex shakes his head and, with an ease they hadn’t been able to accomplish in a decade but which has been hard fought for in the last year, places a friendly hand on Michael’s shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As he’s pulling his hand away, Michael turns to him and, eyes still straying toward his project, says, “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow, drive safe.” He leans forward to peck Alex on the cheek, and it’s more of a scratch of his stubble to the corner of Alex’s mouth, there and gone again just as quickly, as Michael turns back to the work on the table.

Alex’s breath hitches and he freezes, eyes stuck on the back of Michael’s head as he bends over to work, but Michael just continues writing and muttering to himself. He doesn’t seem to realize what he’s done.

Alex lets out a shaky exhale, his heart pounding, and quietly makes his way out to his car. “What the hell,” he murmurs to himself, pulling out onto the road and attempting to concentrate on his surroundings and ignore the fluttery sensation in his stomach.

Ten years.  _ Ten years _ they’d been in love, and never been able to make it work. They’d given up on the possibility of  _ them  _ last year, and they’ve been working on being friends. It’s been hell, but ultimately he’d rather have Michael in his life as a friend than not at all, and that’s been working for them. Friends, no more. That was the deal, and he’d made his peace with that.

And now this.

“What the  _ hell _ ,” he says again, more forcefully, hands white-knuckled on his steering wheel; he has to resist putting his hand to his cheek, where he can still feel the scratch of Michael’s stubble.

He’s almost to work when his phone rings through his radio, Michael’s name popping up on his dash. He takes a slow breath, in and out, and presses the button to accept the call.

“Did I just kiss you?” Michael asks as soon as the call connects, his voice sounding slightly hysterical. “Because I looked up from my desk just a minute ago and realized: I think I kissed you before you left.”

Alex breathes out slowly and nods. “Yeah, you did.”

They’re both quiet for a long time, and then Michael says, voice tentative, “I’m sorry?”

Alex snorts and shakes his head. “Are you?”

Michael’s quiet long enough that Alex has to lean over to check the call hasn’t been dropped. Then, “No, I’m not.” Another long pause. “I’ve missed you.”

“I… I’ve missed you too,” Alex whispers; he can’t be sure if Michael even heard it. 

Michael groans and lets out a loud exhale. “Can we-- I need to-- Ugh. I don’t want to talk about this over the phone.”

The way the last year has gone, and the way the decade before that went, Alex isn’t sure if it’s a good idea to talk about it at all. Maybe they should just forget it ever happened, and go back to the new normal.

Alex takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he prepares to suggest they just forget it to Michael, but what comes out instead is, “Dinner tonight?” His breath hitches in surprise at his own traitorous mouth.

“Yes,” Michael says immediately, and the relief in his tone helps settle the writhing snakes of uncertainty that have started to gather in Alex’s stomach. “Yes, dinner. Come to my place after work?”

Alex bites his lip. His brain is yelling at him to stop this before it goes too far. They’ve been down this road before, and it’s always ended in the worst possible heartache for the both of them.

But his heart is pounding wildly, leaping in excitement, because no one has ever been able to make him feel the way Michael does, and maybe this last year has been enough to make it different this time? God, he hopes so.

He takes a deep breath and says, “Okay.”


	12. Liz & Michael re: Malex pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: love your writing but I need more to that Liz/Alex and Liz/Michael quarantine story that you posted. Feel like it could be a really amazing fic or series of connected one shots. would you ever follow up on it and continue with it?
> 
> (Follow up to Ch 8)

She doesn’t interfere.

No matter how badly she may want to, it’s really not her place, especially since she’d unwittingly made the situation worse the last time she’d given a friend romantic advice.

Michael and Maria’s burgeoning relationship implodes because of the alien secret? Liz says nothing.

Alex and Michael start developing a friendship, getting together almost daily to go over the Caulfield drives and scouring every possible source for information on Michael’s mom? Liz bites her lip to hide her smile, and doesn’t say anything.

Alex starts dating a rando, bringing Forrest around to meet all of Alex’s friends, which at this point actually  _ includes  _ Michael? Liz keeps her mouth shut, but she does link her arm with Michael’s at the table, giving him a comforting squeeze when she feels him stiffen next to her every time Forrest sends a loving glance toward his boyfriend.

Alex breaks up with Forrest and he and Michael continue working together and growing closer as friends? They smile and laugh and exchange small touches and tickles, and as far as she can tell, they spend almost every waking moment together when they’re not at work? Liz has to press her lips together  _ hard _ , sometimes even covering her mouth with her hand, but she does stop herself from saying anything.

It’s. Really. Not. Her. Place.

So she doesn’t interfere until it’s blatantly obvious there’s nothing standing in Michael and Alex’s way except the two idiots themselves.

/

Max spends his first night back among the living with her, but he needs to spend the second night with Isobel, so Liz heads over to Michael’s place with a bottle of wine and the ingredients for s’mores. They drink and toast marshmallows over his fire pit and drink and eat a lot of chocolate and get sugar high and drink well into the night.

At one point, Michael makes a particularly stupid joke about a lightyear having less calories than a regular year, and it sends them both into a fit of giggles that lasts a good ten minutes. Their giggles die down eventually and Liz wipes the tears of mirth from her cheeks, tilting her head back against the chair and looking over at Michael fondly.

It’s odd; the only thing she’d cared to know about him in high school was that he was smarter than her, and it made her crazy to know she wasn’t the best. She’d wished him gone many times, and now, she finds herself selfishly wishing he never finishes his ship so he can’t leave. He’s one of her best friends.

And as one of her best friends, she needs to know. “Will you tell me about Alex?”

He sighs and rests his head on the back of his chair, eyes heavy as he looks over at her. “Alex? Well, he’s an airman, about 5’10”, brown hair, brown eyes--”

Liz leans over to whack him in the arm, sending them both into another fit of giggles. “No, I mean,” she sighs. “Tell me about why you’re not together?”

Michael’s silent for a long time, suddenly sober eyes searching her face; she holds her breath, waiting to see if he deems her worthy of knowing something so intimate about himself. She lets her breath out slowly when he says, “He’s connected with a lot of awful things in my life.”

This trust is fragile, Liz knows. Michael’s a bit like her: there’s a cage around his heart, and it takes a lot for him to truly let anyone unlock it. The difference is, once that cage is opened, her heart still has to be coaxed out, whereas his comes bursting forth, reaching for the person who set him free, even at the risk of getting hurt. Rather than ask him to elaborate and frighten his heart back in, she waits.

Her patience is rewarded when he lets out a shuddery breath and says, “His father destroyed my hand.” He looks down and flexes his newly-healed hand; Liz’s eyes widen and she bites her lip to keep more questions from bursting forth. He continues, “His family has hunted and tortured my people for the better part of the last century. He was there when my m--” His breath hitches and he shakes his head, inhaling sharply to finish with, “When my mom was killed.”

A tear streaks down his cheek and she reaches out to wipe it away, fighting her own tears back. He lifts his hand to cover hers, squeezing it gently as he lowers them down to the armrest between them. He swallows hard and shrugs. “He’s in a lot of my worst memories.”

Liz inhales slowly, working to keep her tears at bay. It sounds like they have a lot they need to overcome, but at the risk of making things worse again, she says slowly, “Is he in any of the best ones?”

His brow furrows and he tilts his head in question. She smiles and squeezes his hand as she asks, “Is he in any of your best memories? He was your first love, right?” It’s a guess, but she’s reasonably sure he was. Michael is not the type to truly love often.

His eyes go a little glassy as he thinks, a small smile curving his lips. “Best first kiss,” he whispers. “Best first time.” His smile grows a little wicked as he nods and continues, “Best sex ever, if I’m being totally honest.”

“Okay, ew, no, I don’t need to know that, lalalalalala!” she says, pulling her hands up to cover her ears.

He laughs and pulls her hands down again, shaking his head. His smile grows soft again as he says, “First person besides Max or Isobel to give a damn about me.”

Liz twists her wrists out of his grip to clasp his hands again, giving them a squeeze. She takes a deep breath before she says, “Max will always be tangled up with the loss of my sister and the ruination of my family’s reputation in this town.” She takes a deep breath and shakes her head at Michael’s guilty look. “But. He’s also the reason I’m alive, and he’s the reason Rosa’s alive, and a lot of my  _ best  _ memories involve him. And I know, with him, I will be happier than I ever could be with anyone else.”

She watches Michael absorb this, his eyes flickering across her face as he thinks. When it seems like he’s finally coming to understand what she’s trying to say, she squeezes his hands again. “Just something to think about.”


	13. Liz & Alex re: Malex pt 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: the anon that asked for more on the liz/alex and liz/Michael one shot. Omg I loved the second part so much so glad that you added more cant wait to see how her talk with alex goes!!!!!!
> 
> (Follow up to Ch 8 and 12)

Surprisingly, Liz is not the one to initiate that conversation.

She and Alex are at his house, sitting on the floor next to his coffee table, sorting through the rest of the Caulfield information while they wait for the rest of the group to show up. She finishes stacking the files in order by date, having found nothing more on Nora or Louise, and looks over to see Alex glaring down at one of the files. “Alex?” she says softly, reaching out to touch his arm when he doesn’t respond.

“Didn’t you hate Max, for what he did to Rosa?” he says, voice harsh and eyes cold when they lock with hers.

She jerks back, caught off guard by the sudden hostility. He closes his eyes and takes a breath, letting it out slowly before he opens them again with a shake of his head. “Sorry,” he says, licking his lips. “I just meant, did you find it hard to forgive him?”

Liz reaches out and squeezes his arm in acceptance of his apology, then pulls back again. “Yes, I did hate him, and yes, it was difficult to forgive him.”

Alex swallows hard and nods, looking back down at the file and closing it. He asks quietly, “How did you move past it and allow yourself to love him?” He looks up at her, his eyes sad and helpless, and her heart aches. 

She tries to think of a way to explain it, but comes up with nothing. She sighs and shrugs helplessly. “I guess I just needed...time, to think things through logically and consider their other options that night. They were panicked, and Max  _ tried  _ to save Rosa, but there was ultimately nothing they could have done. And then they had to figure out how to protect themselves, and after seeing all of this,” she gestures to the files and doesn’t miss Alex’s flinch. “I can’t say I blame them. People do stupid, thoughtless things when they’re scared, and I just needed time to come to terms with that.”

“But what if what you’ve done is the worst--the worst thing that’s ever happened to him?” he asks, breath hitching, knuckles white as they grip the file he’d been staring at.

Liz scrambles up and kneels in front of him, hands cupping his face. “Hey, hey, hey,” she says softly, thumbs rubbing his cheeks gently. “You are not to blame for what happened to Michael’s mom.” Her tone is still soft, but it leaves little room for argument. “None of this,” she points to the files again, pulls the one out of his hand and sets it back on the table. “None of that is on you. You are not to blame for what other people did.”

“But they’re my  _ family _ , Liz. My family did that to his family. The last  _ three generations _ of Manes’ kept them imprisoned, and tor--” His eyes go wide when she puts her hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

Her nose is scrunched up and she makes a disgusted noise in her throat before she says, “ _ They _ are not your family, Alex.” He shakes his head and starts talking behind her hand but goes quiet at her glare. “You may share blood with them, but they don’t deserve to call you family. You are  _ my  _ family, and Rosa’s family, and Maria’s family, and…” She sighs and pulls her hand away. “You’re Michael’s family too. And I guarantee you, there’s nothing you’ve done in your life that we wouldn’t forgive you for.”

He sighs and licks his lips. “You don’t know everything, though. His hand--”

“That was Jesse,” Liz cuts him off, her tone firm. 

He’s stunned into silence for a good minute before he chokes out, “He told you?”

Not the whole story, but she’s not about to lose the ground she’s making in this argument, so she nods. “And that bastard’s actions are not yours.”

Alex lets out a slow breath and nods once, looking away from her. Finally, he says softly, “But every time I’ve…” He swallows, exhales sharply, and continues, “Run away from him in the last ten years, hurt him,  _ that’s  _ been on me. Even if he can get past the other stuff, how’s he supposed to get past  _ that _ ?”

Liz sighs and shifts to sit on her butt, legs tangled with Alex’s. “Am I right in assuming all the secrecy and hiding and running away has been a direct response to the trauma you  _ both  _ suffered at Jesse’s hands?”

He winces and shakes his head.

“Alex.”

He scowls and looks up at her Mom tone. “What?”

“I know you’re in therapy. I know you had to have talked about this _ at least _ once.” He doesn’t confirm it, but he also doesn’t deny it, so she nods and takes it as confirmation. “Have you  _ explained  _ to him that it’s a trauma response and that you’re working on it, but it may take some time, and in the meantime you’d still like to cuddle and hold hands and kiss and do  _ other things _ behind closed doors, of which I will not speak?” She narrows her eyes and nudges him playfully.

His shoulders drop and the tension in his body eases as he rolls his eyes at her. “No, mom,  _ god _ ,” he says, affecting the tone of a sullen teenager, his lips twitching.

Liz smiles widely and grips his arm, shaking him a little. “Well, why not?”

He grimaces and shakes his head. “That’s a hard conversation to have.”

“You just had it with me, and the world didn’t end,” she points out.

“Yeah, but with you, I don’t exactly have to worry about getting my heart crushed into a million pieces and dying from a brutal rejection.” His tone is intentionally melodramatic, but there’s real anxiety in his eyes.

Liz rolls her eyes and says, “I really don’t think you have to worry about that with Michael either.”

Alex shakes his head and opens his mouth to respond but stops when they hear the front door open.

“Hey, I brought provisions!” Michael calls out, shouldering his way in. Alex tenses next to her, grabbing her wrist and squeezing, but her eyes are on Michael. He makes his way into the living room and smiles at them, holding up his two grocery bags. “Liz, got you a bottle of red, even though it tastes like shit. Alex, I got you that beer you like, but I’m putting it in the bottom drawer so Valenti can’t find it and has to drink the stuff he hates. Please don’t tell him you have it. It ruins the fun.”

Liz watches Michael smile at Alex, mischievous and happy, and dare she say it, just a little bit flirty. She turns back to Alex with a raised brow, taking in the slight blush on his cheeks and the soft eyes with which he’s looking at Michael. She hears Michael start to shuffle around in the kitchen and Alex’s eyes dart back to hers. He still has a soft smile on his face. 

No, he definitely doesn’t have to worry about it at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I let my feelings about Alex still blaming himself in 2x04 influence this one a bit...


	14. "I haven't slept in four days" Michael and Liz w/ side of Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> angsty-aliens said: Malex or Michael and Liz being science in laws: 132: “ I haven’t slept in four days… ”

Michael kicks off his pants in the middle of the floor and drops face-first into bed, groaning loudly as he sinks into the soft pillows. His whole body  _ aches _ , his eyes itch like crazy, and he just wants to  _ sleep _ . He reaches over and blindly grabs for Alex’s arm, pouting until he finds it and drags it over his waist. That taken care of, he starts nodding off, hoping the buzzing in his head will cease after he gets some sleep.

“Guerin,” Alex mumbles from behind him. “Michael,” he says again when Michael doesn’t respond.

It takes a considerable amount of effort, but Michael inhales deeply and grunts in response.

“That’s  _ your  _ phone.”

Michael makes a questioning sound, brain struggling to comprehend what his boyfriend just said. “What?”

Alex huffs into his shoulder and repeats, “Your phone. Make it stop.”

It takes him a solid thirty seconds to decipher what Alex said, and another thirty seconds to realize the buzzing in his head is, in fact, coming from the floor. It’s not his head pounding as the result of several days of sleeplessness. Too tired to get up, he reaches his hand out and yanks his jeans off the floor and onto the bed with his powers, digging in the pocket for his phone.

He squints at the screen, intending to turn it off, and sees he’s missed four calls from Liz in the last ten minutes. When it starts buzzing in his hand again, he answers it, pulling it up to his ear and closing his eyes. “What.”

“How did you make sure none of your uterus-having partners ever got knocked up with alien-human hybrid babies?”

Michael’s eyes pop open. Behind him, Alex jolts up onto his elbow with a, “What?”

Michael breathes deep and says, “I’m sorry, it’s three in the morning and I haven’t slept in four days. I thought you just asked me about--”

“Did you only use condoms, or was there always a backup, like a two-prong system? Did you figure out a way to test if traditional human methods of contraception were as effective in stopping alien sperm from fertilizing human eggs? Do you know if it’s even  _ possible  _ for humans to get pregnant by aliens?”

Michael looks over at Alex in bewilderment, able to see even in the dark that his boyfriend’s eyebrows are high up on his forehead in surprise. Michael shrugs and says, “Always condoms, sometimes two methods, no, and no.” He waits for Liz to respond, ask more questions, anything, but all he hears is her ragged breathing on the other end of the line. “Liz?”

She exhales shakily and says, “Since the honeymoon we’ve been a little...lax with using condoms. I’m on the pill, so I didn’t think it would matter, but I just woke up with the realization that maybe the pill isn’t as effective when your husband’s biology is not the same as yours.”

Michael sighs and sits up, massaging his forehead. He cannot believe he is having this conversation. With his sister-in-law. At three a.m. “When was your last period?”

Liz lets out a slow breath and says, “Last week.”

Michael nods and says, “Okay, and how many... _ incidents _ have there been since then, and when was the last one?” He grimaces; he does not want to even  _ consider  _ the fact that Max and Liz are having sex.

Liz’s breathing and tone are a lot more steady now that she’s got something to focus on. She says, “Just one, about four hours ago.” 

_ Yuck _ . “Okay, that’s good. In the morning, go to CVS for Plan B. While you’re there, get another box or two of condoms to keep around, so you don’t forget again.”

“Okay.”

He nods again and lets out a slow breath, relieved she’s already sounding less panicked. Alex seems to hear it too, because he lays back down and closes his eyes, nodding when Michael says, “Tomorrow, I’ll start looking through the Shepherd files for answers on human-alien biological compatibility, and the next time we have a free day together, you and Kyle and I can start looking into alien-proof alternatives to the pill.”

“Okay. Thanks,” she breathes out. “Sorry I woke you up, I just...freaked out.” There’s a huff of self-deprecating laughter.

He shakes his head, starts running his fingers through Alex’s hair absentmindedly. “Did I help?”

Liz takes a deep breath. “Yeah,” she says softly.

“Then don’t be sorry. If I can help you feel better, it’s worth losing a little sleep.”

She’s quiet for a long moment before she sniffles and says, “You’re my favorite brother-in-law.” He has to fight the grin and the blush that crawls up his cheeks, until she continues, “Of course, Alex will take over that spot, whenever you get around to asking him to marry you, but for right now...”

Michael’s smile drops into a scowl and Alex snorts, hiding his laughter in Michael’s hip. “I hate you,” Michael says into the phone.

“Love you too, Mikey!” Liz says, and he hangs up on her laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> science-in-laws are my kryptonite, apparently.
> 
> i'm still taking prompts, if you want to hmu on tumblr: islndgurl777


	15. "Stop being so cute." Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: Hi! 🖤 for the Malex prompts could you maybe do one for 67 or 70 please :)
> 
> 67- "Stop being so cute."

When Alex walks into the lab, he has to dodge to the side to avoid a wad of paper that comes flying his way from over Michael’s shoulder. A quick glance around and Alex can tell Michael’s been at this a while.

“Having trouble?” he asks, scooping down to pick up a sheet, unballing it and laying it out flat as he leans on the table next to Michael. “What are you working on?”

Michael sighs and sits back, tossing his pencil onto the table and looking over at Alex. “Something Liz thought would be useful. Thought I’d see if I could… ” He scoffs and brings a hand up to rub his forehead. “Well, I was thinking it could be…” He sighs again and shrugs. “Not sure if I’ll be able to build it in time, though. I’ve only got a month.”

Alex looks over the designs in front of Michael and tilts his head as he takes a longer look, wondering why Michael seems so put out. “What are you…” His voice turns a little incredulous as he realizes what the sketches depict. “Are you trying to build an MRI machine in time for her 30th birthday?”

Michael’s nose scrunches up. “Well, I mean, we’d  _ all  _ be able to use it…”

Alex can’t quite smother his laugh. “But you wanted it to be ready for  _ her  _ birthday.”

Michael presses his lips together hard, narrowing his eyes on Alex. “Shut up,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting, just a little.

Alex doesn’t bother trying to hide his laughter now. “You totally want to surprise Liz with a hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars machine for her birthday!”

“Okay, do you really have to say it like  _ that _ ?” Michael huffs, throwing his hands up. “Like I said, it would be useful for all of us to have. To like, take more scans of us and figure out how we’re different from humans and just, you know…” He huffs again, then rolls his eyes and says, “Okay, so  _ maybe  _ I wanted it ready for Liz’s birthday so I could pay her back for all the work she put in to fix Max, but _ that’s it _ .”

Alex presses his laugh into Michael’s hair, giving him a quick kiss. “Stop being so cute.”

“I’m not  _ cute _ ,” Michael scoffs. “I’m...I’m…”

Alex looks down on him, raising a brow. “You want to build your best friend’s birthday gift yourself. That is the definition of adorable.”

Michael huffs and turns slightly away from him, crossing his arms over his chest again. “I’m not adorable either, I’m… I’m  _ pissed off _ !”

Alex nods sagely. “Pissed because you can’t figure out how to make your best friend Liz the one gift no one else would be able to give her.”

“Stop saying she’s my best friend!”

“Except she is!” Alex sing-songs, leaping out of the way with a laugh when Michael’s hands shoot forward to tickle his stomach.

“She is not!” Michael whines, standing to follow him. 

“Is too!” Alex sings, backing toward the door.

Michael’s lips twitch and he chases Alex out the door, leaving Liz’s birthday gift a problem for later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what can i say, i just really love the science-in-laws...


	16. "Are you flirting with me?" Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> frenziedblaze said: Oh I think you should do Love #56 for Malex.
> 
> 56- "Are you flirting with me?"

“Hey, handsome,” Michael says, sliding onto the stool next to an absolute snack of a man at the bar. “Buy you a drink?”

The snack lifts an eyebrow at him, a slight blush warming his cheeks. He glances over at Maria and Michael follows his gaze. She’s pressing her lips together, working hard to suppress her smile. She shrugs and goes back to pouring drinks for other customers at the bar.

The man turns back to Michael, eyebrow still raised (and isn’t that incredulity just...so adorable?) and says, “Are you  _ flirting  _ with me right now?”

Michael cocks his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Well, now. If you have to ask, I must not be doing it very well, huh?” He leans in, brushing their arms together.

The man’s breath hitches and he shifts just the tiniest bit closer, dropping his voice a little to say, “No, you’re really not.” He licks his lips, gorgeous brown eyes roaming Michael’s face. “What else have you got?”

Michael’s grin widens and he lets out a laugh. “Well, since the opener I went with didn’t work… what is it you’re into?”

Michael slides his other hand down, knuckles brushing the outside of the man’s thigh. The snack’s breath hitches and he shakes his head, voice just a touch shaky when he says, “What do you mean?”

Michael shifts just a tiny bit closer. “I mean,” he says, licking his lips. “Do you want a funny come-on, a ridiculous one? Do you want me to charm you? Make you laugh? Turn you on?”

The man leans in a little bit, hums as if thinking about it, then says, “I want you to be sincere. How’s that?” Their foreheads are nearly touching.

Michael huffs a laugh and says, “I can do that.” His smile softens as he picks up the man’s hand, intertwines their fingers, and looks him in the eye. “You are the sexiest damn thing I have ever seen in my life, and I would love nothing more than to take you home and spend all weekend in bed with you.”

The hand in his squeezes hard. Their eyes are locked, and Michael is unable to look away until Maria says from the other side of the bar, “Oh my god, you two need to stop,  _ please _ . You’ve been married four years. When is this disgustingly-gooey-eyed honeymoon phase going to be over?”

Alex shrugs and smiles over at her, giving Michael’s hand another squeeze as he says, “Never.”


	17. Isobel + tweaks to 2x06

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CarlaDuquette requested anything Isobel; this is a tweak to her scenes in 2x06...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2x06 spoilers, and also, I put a little of myself into Isobel here, so if she seems a little ooc...it's because I'm using my writing to express my own anxieties... *finger guns and backs away* hope you like it!

There’s a reason she’s at a gay bar. 

The personal revelation she’d had about her sexuality hadn’t really mattered much when she’d had it; bisexual or not, she was still married, and madly in love with her husband. It didn’t really matter that she’d finally realized her...scrutiny of the elegant swish of a woman’s hair or the soft curve of her waist was more than just an aesthetic appreciation.

Now that she’s single again, she wants to explore that revelation. Ergo, gay bar.

She keeps her cool flirting with the bartender, but as soon as the woman wanders down the bar to make her a drink, Isobel’s flirty smile wavers. She lets out a shaky exhale and drops her head, just for a second.

God, that had been a rush. She’s never flirted with a woman with the  _ intention  _ of sex on her mind. Getting what she wants, sure. She’s flirted with plenty of people with that endgame in mind. But flirting just to flirt? Flirting just because a woman’s pretty and maybe Isobel wants to kiss her or make out with her or, god,  _ have sex _ with her? That’s brand new.

Her heart’s pounding wildly.  _ Is she too young to have a heart attack? _ she wonders. To steady herself, she takes a breath and looks over the rest of the bar, taking a quick inventory of all the other patrons, and  _ Oh _ , she thinks as she spies Kyle Valenti.  _ There’s a surprise. _ But strangely enough, it’s one that calms her.

Kyle’s trustworthy. She’s been in his head, so she knows he’s not an alien, but she also knows he’s a genuinely decent human being. He helped save her life, and Max’s. She feels...comfortable with him in a way she doesn’t with most people, and since she’s feeling so incredibly off-kilter here, she decides to join him.

She flirts with him. It’s easy. He’s a good looking man, and so open to the effortless flirtation she’s offering. It’s like falling back into old, familiar habits.

But her eyes keep straying back to Blair, the bartender. She’s been popping in on them all night, with drinks and glitter and witty conversation. Kyle’s comfortable and sexy, but with Blair… there’s this exciting  _ zing  _ of possibility, of  _ what if... _ ?

“Is that how it is?” Kyle asks, hand firm on Isobel’s lower back as he leads her into a deep, dramatic dip in the middle of the dance floor.

She huffs out a laugh and leans in close when he pulls her back up. “Maybe?” She bites her bottom lip and shrugs, trying to look as apologetic as she can.

He rolls his eyes and twirls her around, pulling her back to his front and wrapping his arms around her. “And you’re here with me because…?”

She turns and wraps her arms around his neck, meeting his eyes. “No offense,” she starts.

“Says the woman who’s about to say something that will offend me,” he murmurs, but his lips quirk up in a smile.

She laughs and shakes her head, “You’re the safer option here.” 

“Ouch,” he says, eyebrows drawn together as he leans slightly away from her.

Isobel rolls her eyes and reels him back in, grips his shoulders in a semblance of a hug. “You’re less scary,” she amends. Kyle’s definitely not the one making butterflies spawn wildly in her stomach tonight.

“Hmm,” he says, leaning in again, hands warm on her waist. “I see.”

She shrugs again, leans forward to rest her head on his shoulder as they continue to dance. Her eyes fix on Blair on the other side of the bar until she and Kyle rotate and the bar is out of sight again.

“You should ask her to dance,” Kyle says. “She’s into you.”

Isobel pulls away to look him in the eye, one eyebrow raised. “You think?”

He rolls his eyes and says, “She didn’t bring free shooters and help us with our makeup and gems because she was interested in  _ me _ , Isobel.”

A thrill jolts through her and she starts to smile. “Yeah?” They’re rotating so she can see the bar again and her eyes find Blair. The butterflies in Isobel’s stomach go wild at Blair’s small smile. “Okay, maybe I will.”


	18. Pod Squad + Merlin inspired story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> liesforthewin on tumblr prompted for a Merlin-inspired story...
> 
> I went for 3x08 The Eye of the Phoenix because that’s one of my favorite episodes.

Michael pauses at a switchback to swallow a mouthful of water, cursing himself for not bringing more than one bottle. He should have known better than to venture this deep into the desert without enough water. He squints up at the sky and lets out a long breath when he realizes the sun will be behind the mountains soon, and he’ll have a little relief from the unrelenting sun.

Despite the fact that he’s low on water, he continues on, following the feeling deep in his chest that’s called him out here. A feeling that says, “I have the answers you seek, if only you’d follow your instincts.”

The thing about that is, he’s wanted to follow that instinct for years, but since he got back to Roswell, he hasn’t had any way to get out to the middle of the desert. Now, though. Now, he’s got a truck, and the time to follow his instincts as far and as long as he needs to in order to find the answers about who they are and where they came from.

He continues climbing the mountain, a steady thump in his chest telling him he’s almost there.

When he comes around the next switchback, he stops short. There’s an open cave in front of him, dancing lights glowing inside; this is where he’ll find his answers. There’s just one problem: there’s someone blocking his way in. 

She’s got brown skin and long, curly brown hair; she’s wearing a long white nightgown and turquoise boots. “Who is it that wishes to enter this cave?” she asks, voice light and airy.

Michael swallows, his throat dry again. “A long-lost boy,” he says, then squares his shoulders and steps closer. “Looking for answers about who he is.”

The woman smiles and says, “You must be Ingenuity, then.”

Michael tilts his head to the side and takes another step closer. “No, I’m Michael Guerin.”

She steps closer and her eyes lock on his as she lifts her hand. “I’m Mimi.”

Michael reaches forward to shake her hand, startling when she uses it to pull him closer, peering up into his eyes with a clarity that belies her whimsical tone. “You took longer than I expected.”

He clears his throat again and shrugs. “Sorry?”

She hums and lets his hand go, gesturing to the cave behind her. “Before you go in, I’ll give you a little advice.” He raises his eyebrows to prompt her to continue. She hums again and says, “As Ingenuity, there are two more things you will need to find the answers you seek: Fortitude and Energy.” 

Michael tilts his head, idly wondering what the hell  _ that  _ could mean, but most of his focus is already locked on the cave, his answers. She lays a gentle hand on his arm and his gaze swings back to her. “There must always be three,” she says solemnly.

He feels the weight of her words press down on him. They are important. He must keep them in mind. “Okay,” he promises.

She nods, pulls her hand back, and allows him to enter the cave.

/

“I can’t  _ believe  _ you let him come out here on his own!” Isobel snaps, stomping along the trail and kicking up dirt as she goes.

“You really think I could have stopped him?” Max asks, exasperated. “If anyone could stop him from coming out here without backup or a plan, it would be  _ you _ !”

The top of the sun drops below the mountains and the sky turns more purple than red. They continue to bicker as they make their way up the mountain, only stopping to pull out flashlights once the last of the sun’s light is gone.

Isobel is loudly decrying the lack of paved paths and the idiocy of her brothers when they get to another switchback and Max’s arm shoots out in front of her. She huffs and glares at him, opening her mouth to let loose another tyraid, but she stops when she sees his wide eyes. 

“What is it?” she whispers, allowing him to pull her back down the path a little.

“You don’t sense that?” he whispers back, almost too quiet to hear.

She closes her eyes and exhales slowly, focusing on her alien senses rather than her human ones. It’s been a while since she really used them, preferring a good knockout punch to shut her enemies up rather than the subtle art of mind-influencing lately. Still, it’s not like those powers go away with disuse; she senses Michael up ahead. He’s in pain.

Her eyes snap open and before Max can stop her, she’s rushing forward.

“No, wait! Isobel!” Max calls, running after her.

He nearly runs into her when he comes around the corner. She’s twenty feet from the entrance of a cave and their way forward is blocked by a woman in a nightgown and turquoise boots.

Isobel shifts away from Max, fist clenched at her side as she takes a slow step forward.

The woman smiles at her and says, “Fortitude, it’s good you’re here.” She looks at Max and nods. “And Energy.”

“Where’s our brother?” Isobel asks, squaring her shoulders and pulling up her fists, ready to face off.

The woman smiles and shakes her head. “Ingenuity is already inside, but he will need your help to find the answers he seeks.” She tilts her head and her gaze shifts between them. “To find the answers you all seek.” She steps away from the entrance of the cave and motions for them to enter.

Isobel only hesitates a moment before she runs in, and Max follows a second later. When he glances back to see if the woman will follow them, she’s gone.

/

Michael comes around to see Isobel’s worried face hovering over him. As soon as his eyes focus, her worry turns to fury and she punches him in the shoulder. 

“Ow!” he says, groaning slightly and lifting his hand to rub the back of his head as he sits up.

“What the hell happened?” Isobel asks, standing up to pace in front of him, eyes flickering to the tunnel entrance every few seconds to keep watch.

Michael leans back against the cave wall and shifts his gaze to the glowing pods. Max is standing by one, hand hovering just over the surface, eyes wide with curiosity. “Don’t touch it,” Michael tells him, and Max snatches his hand back. “I tried, and some kind of...pulse came out, threw me back into the wall.” His entire back feels like a horse ran over it. “I think it’s a security measure.”

Max looks away from the pods to him. “You okay?”

Michael rolls his eyes. “I’ve been better.” But he’s also been much, much worse, and he can tell Max understands this from the nod he gives.

Michael nods back and turns back to Isobel, who is fuming over by the tunnel entrance. “Oh, are you ready to confer with me now?” she says, voice sickly sweet.

“Come on, Is. I’ve been telling you for years that as soon as I got a truck, I’d be chasing that feeling out into the desert.” He licks his lips and winces as he pushes himself into a standing position. “It’s not my fault you never wanted to believe it would lead anywhere.” He spreads his arms out to encompass the cave and the three pulsing, glittering pods tucked away against the wall. “Guess who was right?”

Isobel rolls her eyes at his cocky tone, then steps closer to him and Max, and the pods. She sighs. “Fine. You were right to come out here. Congratulations, you found something...otherworldly. Now what?” She throws her hands out toward the pods and says, “You can’t even touch them without getting blown back. What good does that do us? What information can you gather from that, oh wise one?”

Michael winces and shakes his head. “Okay, yeah. Obviously there’s more to it than just getting out here, but--”

“And who was that woman at the cave entrance? Why was she just standing there waiting for us? Does that not strike you as the tiniest bit weird?” Isobel’s tone is...more than mildly sarcastic.

“And where’d she go?” Max interjects. “She just disappeared when we came in. What if we needed her help with something? I mean, obviously we need her help understanding all of this…”

Michael eyes the pods, tilting his head to the side. “There must always be three,” he murmurs to himself. “Ingenuity,” that was supposed to be him. And she’d said he’d need two more. “Fortitude,” that could be Isobel. His eyes flicker over to Max. “And Energy.”

Isobel and Max are still speculating about the long hike up and the bizarre cave-keeper, but they stop when Michael lifts his hands and says, “I think I know what to do.”

A minute later, they’re standing in a triangle around one pod, each with one hand hovering over the surface. “We all touch at the same time,” Michael says. “On the count of three. One.” He looks between Max and Isobel and they all say, “Two.”

“Three.”


	19. "I wanna hear you say it." Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: Malex. Prompt 89
> 
> 89\. “I wanna hear you say it.”

The door to the Crashdown bursts open and Alex rushes in, chest heaving. His eyes sweep the dark, empty diner twice before he sees the dull light back in the kitchen. Ah, of course.  _ That’s  _ where he needs to go. The door slams shut behind him, the tinkling of the bell above it urging him to keep moving. The others were too close behind for him to take more than a second to catch his breath.

“Alex!” The voice is muffled by the rising dust storm outside and the glass windows between them, but he recognizes it. His shoulders tense as he lurches forward, knocking tables and chairs to the floor as he goes. It won’t slow the others down for long, but it just might be long enough…

He missteps in his rush and slips on the tile behind the front counter. The bell above the door tinkles again as his shoulder slams into the door to the kitchen. “Alex!”

Alex grits his teeth and straightens, pushing through the door and praising himself for his quick thinking when he hears the tell-tale sound of his pursuer tripping on the chairs and cursing as he falls to the ground. He has to make it in time…

He rounds the corner and takes the stairs two at a time, ignoring the ache in his leg from a solid day of running. It will all be worth it, the pain in his leg, the bruise on his shoulder… All of it will be worth it if he can just…

He shoves open the door to the roof, chest heaving with exertion. He can hear at least one of the others, if not more, down in the kitchen, so he takes the time to close it behind himself--one more obstacle--before sweeping his gaze over the roof. His internal clock tells him he only has about a minute.

He runs over to the base of the Crashdown sign and looks up, smiling grimly when he sees the object he’s been looking for all day resting beneath the sign. It’s mere moments before he has it in his hands, and he feels the watch on his wrist buzz just as the door to the roof bursts open.

“You’re too late!” he taunts, stepping into view, holding his prize up high. “I got here first.”

“Doesn’t matter who got here first. What matters is who has it when the clock strikes twelve.”

Alex smirks and shakes his wrist, indicating his watch. “Check the time, Guerin. It’s midnight and I have the alien.” He shakes the plush toy this time. “And that makes me what?”

Michael groans and steps forward, ignoring the commotion their friends make as they rush up the stairs behind him. He places his hands on Alex’s hips and pulls him closer, leaning in to brush his lips against Alex’s.

Alex pulls back and shakes his head. “Nuh-uh. I wanna hear you say it first!”

Michael sighs and rolls his eyes. When Alex gives him a look that says he’s not willing to budge on this, he takes a deep breath and says, “Alex Manes, you are the world’s greatest detective/genius.”

“You’re damn right,” Alex says, smiling into his victory kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, of course, inspired by the Halloween heist on B99. The reason the prize is just sitting there is because Rosa got it first, and really early, but she grew bored of the heist and just left it there while she went off and did something less dumb.


	20. “I didn’t wanna wake you up. You just looked so peaceful.” Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: 64, 87 or 90 for Malex
> 
> 87\. “I didn’t wanna wake you up. You just looked so peaceful.”

“Guerin.”

“...”

“Guerin. Stop ignoring me, Guerin.”

“...”

“Oh my god, Michael, seriously? What is the matter with you? Why are you being such an ass tonight, of all nights?”

“...yolefbforiwkup.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Grumpy Mumble, could you try that one again?”

“You lefbeforiwokup!”

“One more time, now. And the glare doesn’t help either way, so you might as well save yourself the premature wrinkles.”

“You. Left. Before. I. Woke. Up.”

“...Seriously? That’s why you’re mad?”

“You didn’t say goodbye, and the first time I saw you on the day of our anniversary was when the day was almost over!”

“You had been up sciencing with Liz until late! I didn’t want to wake you up! You just looked so peaceful and, and, and well-rested for once!”

“...”

“Don’t! With the pout and the eyes!”

“...”

“You are such an asshole! You know I can’t resist your stupid sad face!”

“...”

“Fine! From now on, no matter how late you’ve been out with your friends, no matter how hungover, or tired, or grumpy you are, I will wake you up  _ every  _ morning before I leave for work. Which is very early, by the way.”

“... Okay, now, wait. That’s not what I--”

“Nope. This is happening now, Guerin, because you had to be a whiny, pouty, asshole about it. I hope you’re happy now.”

“...I mean, it doesn’t have to be  _ every  _ morning.”

“Oh, but it will be, and you’re not gonna complain about it at all. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at six! Goodnight!”

“... Goodnight.”


	21. “Your laugh is so adorable.” Malex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: Hi! Malex prompt no. 14 please :)
> 
> 14\. “Your laugh is so adorable.”

[From: Michael] (1:42 am): Your laugh is so sorbet.

[To: Michael] (1:44 am): What? 

[From: Michael] (1:44 am): Adorable*.

[To: Michael] (1:45 am): Guerin, it’s almost 2am. Why are you still awake?

[From: Michael] (1:45 am): And your sole is the cited.

[To: Michael] (1:46 am): What??!! 

[From: Michael] (1:46 am): Your smile* is the cutest*. That’s what I meant. Stupid autocorrect.

[To: Michael] (1:47 am): Guerin, are you fucking drunk right now? I swear to god I am going to kill Liz if you show up hungover tomorrow. Today. This afternoon.

[From: Michael] (1:48 am): No I’m not drunk! I’m just tired!

[To: Michael] (1:48 am): Then go to sleep! That’s what I was doing, before you woke me up with your dead-tired attempts at wooing me!

[From: Michael] (1:49 am): I can’t sleep.

[To: Michael] (1:49 am): Why not?? Didn’t the girls tire you out? I heard Isobel hired a party bus.

[From: Michael] (1:50 am): She did, and it was fun, but I kids you.

[To: Michael] (1:50 am): I kids you too, Guerin.

[From: Michael] (1:50 am): Miss* you. Why can’t I sleep with you tonight again?

[To: Michael] (1:51 am): Tradition? I’m not going up against Isobel, not with the way she’s been acting ever since we started planning this.

[From: Michael] (1:52 am): My sister is the wooziest!

[To: Michael] (1:52 am): ???

[From: Michael] (1:53 am): Woooorst! Duck autocorrect.

[To: Michael] (1:53 am): ...Go to sleep Guerin! We have a big day tomorrow!

[From: Michael] (1:53 am): Fuck!*** Fine. I love you.

[To: Michael] (1:54 am): I love you too. See you this afternoon?

[From: Michael] (1:55 am): An alien invasion couldn’t stop me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Guerin can’t sleep and decides to practice part of his vows to Alex via text the morning before their wedding.
> 
> For the typos: I took out my phone and tried half-ass typing as a tired Guerin, and surprisingly most of what I typed made it. I’m an author! I do my research!


	22. "I'm not jealous." Malex fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> dreamhopebelieve said: Hello!love your writings!!prompt 32,55,58 or 103 for Malex,pls.Whatever is easier for you :):)
> 
> 55\. “I’m not jealous!”

“Stop huffing,” Alex mumbles, not even bothering to open his eyes. Aside from the fact that he’s too tired to try, he can picture Michael easily enough in his mind’s eye that it’s entirely unnecessary. 

“I’m not  _ huffing _ ,” Michael says with a huff. He’s probably got his arms crossed over his chest, eyebrows drawn together as he looks over at them from the back of the couch.

Alex hums a disbelieving note, shifting slightly. Buffy whimpers, snuggling into him further from where she’s laid out on his chest. He tightens his hold on her, running a soothing hand down her back. The two of them are sprawled out on the couch, where they’ve been snuggling for the past hour while they waited for Michael to come home. Alex had nearly been asleep when he heard Michael pulling up just a few minutes ago.

“I’m not!” Michael asserts.

It takes Alex a moment to recall what they’re talking about. He hums again, eyes still closed, and says, “Sure, and I bet you also haven’t been scowling at her since you walked in and saw how she’s staked her claim for the night.”

He hears Michael shift, probably dropping his hands to his hips, and another definite huff. “I wasn’t scowling!”

“Hmm, sure, Jan.” Alex can hear Michael shifting around some more, can almost hear the growl building in his chest; Alex’s smile is stifled by a yawn.

“I’m not  _ jealous _ ,” Michael says, scowl evident in his voice.

“Of course you’re not,” Alex says soothingly, with only a hint of condescension. “Why would you be jealous, since you were the one who  _ chose  _ to stay out late with his best friend instead of coming home to cuddle with me?”

And there’s another huff. “How many times do I have to tell you: Liz is not my best friend!”

Alex cracks his eyes open at this. “Michael. She and Isobel had a three part competition to decide who would get to be your best person at the wedding. They nearly physically  _ fought  _ to stand up there with you.” He closes his eyes again and sighs. “Liz is your best friend.”

He can hear Michael as he comes around the couch, as he kneels down next to him and presses their foreheads together. “No, baby,” he whispers, breath fanning out over Alex’s. “ _ You’re _ my best friend.”

Alex lets the loving, sincere words warm him through his chest as he inhales the sweet scent of his husband. Without looking, he leans up to press his lips to Michael’s. “Aww, baby, that’s so sweet,” he says, and lays his head back down. “But I’m not kicking Buffy off in favor of you.”

Michael leans back with a huff, cursing under his breath as he stands up. Alex smiles, tightens his hold on Buffy, and allows himself to finally drift to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buffy has always been and shall always be Alex’s dog, okay. That’s just the way it is. Also, apparently I will always bring it back to the science-in-laws. I just love them.
> 
> I am still taking prompts on my tumblr, islndgurl777, though no guarantees on how quickly they will be filled. Doesn’t have to be just Malex, RNM, or from any list! If you follow me, you know what fandoms and pairings I like; come forth and prompt!


	23. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." Malex + Rosa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> theredandwhitequeen said: #24: take a picture it’ll last longer for Malex prompt, please.

“What are we going to do?” Michael asks, trying to whisper, but with the high pitch, he doesn’t exactly succeed in asking quietly.

Alex sighs and rubs his forehead, trying to think. His eyes flicker to the other side of the room, where a significantly younger Rosa glares back at them. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” she growls, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Physically, she can’t be older than 11, though she seems to have retained all of her memories, from the tongue-lashing Alex had heard her giving Michael when he’d arrived.

Alex sighs again and turns back to Michael, voice considerably more calm than his boyfriend’s. “What happened?”

Michael opens his mouth to reply, but Rosa beats him to it. “You wanna know what happened?” she says, stalking over with a flair to her walk that just looks odd on a child. Definitely still adult Rosa in there, then. “This  _ idiot  _ wanted to run some tests to see if my altered DNA would allow me to interact with his alien knicknacks, so being the generous,  _ helpful  _ person I am, I said sure, why not, and the next thing I know, I’ve been fucking _Benjamin Buttoned_!” She gestures down to herself, and he notices for the first time she seems to be swimming in one of Michael’s t-shirts, her own clothes abandoned on the couch behind her.

Alex closes his eyes and groans, turning back to Michael, whose eyes are wide and on the verge of panic. Alex takes his hands and breathes in deep, raising his eyebrows to indicate Michael should do the same. It takes several long breaths, but Michael finally seems to be calm enough to think of a solution.

Then Rosa says, voice wicked with glee, “Oh, Liz is going to  _ murder  _ you.”

Alex’s head whips around to glare at her, but she just shrugs, unrepentant. By the time he turns back to Michael, his boyfriend’s eyes are wide with panic again. “Breathe, Michael,” he says quietly, exaggerating his own breaths so Michael can match them again. “This is just another weird, alien tech mishap, and who’s the alien tech expert?”

Michael breathes out slowly with Alex and nods. “I am.”

“Right. You are the smartest man I know, and you know everything there is to know about this stuff,” Alex says, gesturing to the myriad alien artifacts littering the room. “You can figure this out.”

Michael nods, eyes locked on Alex. “I can figure this out.”

Alex smiles, squeezing his hands in support. “And I’m here to help, however I can.”

Michael nods again, lips curving up just slightly. “Okay.” He looks over at Rosa, shoulders squared, and says, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”


	24. Isobel & Alex re: his bachelor party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brilliant anon prompted that Isobel is in charge of Alex's bachelor party and I fucking jumped on that one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is the same 'verse as [stripper!Kyle](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21577861/chapters/51446074)

“Before you say no,” Isobel says as she slides into the booth across from Alex, a disturbing glint in her eyes. “Remember that you only have three vetos, and that you’ve already used one to nix Planet 7 as the venue and another to deny me the pleasure of ordering a three-tiered, penis-shaped rainbow cake.”

Alex narrows his eyes on her, fingers frozen in the act of lifting a fry to his lips. “What did you do?” he says flatly, dropping the fry.

Her gleeful smile widens and she shakes her head. “Nothing yet, but I had the most brilliant brainstorm on my way here.”

He groans and drops his head to the table. “Oh God,” he mumbles. Taking a deep breath, he sits up again and nods. “Tell me.”

“You know how my boyfriend used to be an ‘exotic dancer’ back in college?” she says, letting the implications do the talking for her.

Alex’s eyes widen. He opens his mouth to veto it immediately, but stops himself at the unholy look in her eyes. He narrows his eyes on her again, takes a deep breath and says, “You’re bluffing.”

She places a hand on her chest and tries to look offended. It doesn’t work when she’s grinning like the cat who got the canary. “ _ Moi? _ Bluffing? About my sexy boyfriend stripping for you and all of our friends at your bachelor party? I would  _ never _ .”

He lets out a slow breath, shaking his head. “Kyle would never agree to that.”

Isobel smirks and licks her lips lasciviously. “You’d be surprised what I can entice that man to do, even  _ without  _ my powers.”

He’s been out with her enough and seen her exploits; he really  _ wouldn’t  _ be surprised. He groans, covering his face with his hands.

“Is that a yes?” she says, tone dripping with triumph.

He groans again. The thing is, he knows this isn’t what she really wants. Sure, she’d truly enjoy the process of  _ convincing  _ Kyle to do a set for his bachelor party. But she knows Michael would be furious about it, and she knows Alex has absolutely no desire to see Kyle strip for him. She’s banking on it. She wants him to use his last veto on this so she can swoop in with something even more ridiculous and he will be forced to go along with it. 

At least, he hopes that’s what her game is. He lets out another slow breath, pastes a smile on his face and says, “Sure, Isobel.” Her eyes narrow imperceptibly and he uses that bit of weakness to bolster him through the rest. “ If you can convince him to do it, Kyle can strip for my bachelor party.”

They stare each other down for a minute before her smile turns slightly more feral. “You’re on, Manes.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts are still open! I am so anxious/bored and I need something to occupy myself!


End file.
